PUMPING UP THE PANTOUM: A POETRY CRAFT WORKSHOP

Presenter: Donald Levering. The pantoum originated as a Malaysian poetry form that involves a specific pattern of repeating lines. It was discovered in the West by Victor Hugo, adopted by Baudelaire, and championed by such contemporary poets a Carolyn Kizer, John Ashbery, and Marilyn Hacker. The pantoum allows for poems of imaginative narrative or obsessional description meted-out in hypnotic statements.

Donald Levering has published seven full-length volumes and six chapbooks of poetry. His most recent book, Coltrane’s God, published in 2015 by Red Mountain Press, was Runner-Up for the New England Book Festival Contest in poetry. His previous book, The Water Leveling with Us, placed 2nd in the 2015 National Federation of Press Women Competition. A former NEA Fellow, his recent honors include Runner-Up for the Ruth Stone Prize, New Letters and Dana awards Finalist, and a $1,000 1st Place in the Literal Latté competition. His poems have appeared in such journals as Barrow, Bloomsbury Review, Columbia, Commonweal, Hiram Poetry Review, Hunger Mountain, Georgetown Review, Ginosko, Notre Dame Review, Poet & Critic, Poet Lore, Quiddity, Southern Poetry Review, and Stand. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, the artist Jane Shoenfeld.